


The Greatest Wonder

by peblezQ



Series: Hamilton Week - Lams Birthday Bash [6]
Category: 18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Hamilton - Miranda, Historical RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, Canada, Fainting, Fear of Heights, Gay John Laurens, Lams - Freeform, Lams Birthday Bash, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Nature, Near Death Experiences, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic, Secret Crush, Summer Vacation, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28548789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peblezQ/pseuds/peblezQ
Summary: Modern-Day College AU; Laurens and Hamilton decide to go on a hiking trip during their summer break and Hamilton refuses to admit that he has never hiked on a trail this difficult before.ORThe one where Laurens and Hamilton visit Niagara Falls and Hamilton is a stubborn moron and almost dies on a hike by passing out on a ~very steep hill~Prompt #6 - Near Death/Saves Life
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens
Series: Hamilton Week - Lams Birthday Bash [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086494
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44
Collections: Lams Birthday Bash





	The Greatest Wonder

**Author's Note:**

> I left their physical descriptions rather vague on purpose, but John will always be taller than Alexander. Laurens will always be taller than Hamilton; even over my cold-dead body.
> 
> Enjoy this fic I wrote about our favourite 230+ year-old gays visiting the big waterfalls.
> 
> ~No betas, we die like men!~

## ~ PRELUDE ~

Alexander knows three things for certain. One, he is going to graduate college and become a lawyer. Two, caffeine is a god-given gift. Three, he hates nature. 

John Laurens, his roommate of three years knows two of those things about Alexander, which is why they are here, in the goddamned willowwacks. They wanted to leave New York City for the summer, go somewhere nice and fun. John's idea of fun is renting out a cabin and going on nature hikes in another fucking country. 

They're staying in Ontario, Canada for the summer - sightseeing and walking on all of the trails Niagara has to offer. John has apparently always wanted to see Niagara Falls, so Alex would be damned if he did not make sure his best friend had the best summer of his life -- even if that means crushing his own excitement and joy for John's benefit. 

## ~ ONE DAY AGO ~

"Wow, look at that!" John exclaims with pure, un-restrained joy at the sight of the horseshoe waterfall. "Isn't that the most amazing thing you've ever seen?" 

Alexander blinks languidly, realizing he has been staring at his phone for far too long and tucks it away before John can notice. If Alex was an honourable man, he would admit that the giant waterfalls stopped being exciting after looking at them for three seconds. He's already itching to go home. 

He shoves his pride into the concrete like the dried up gum beside his feet. "Mhmm. It's quite spectacular." 

John smiles at Alexander like a giddy child on Christmas morning, nearly hopping in his spot as he grips the railing of the lookout. 

_Alexander knows one other thing that he hates; heights._

He nervously stands closer to John, hoping to hold him back so he doesn't fall over the ledge and accidentally kill himself from pure excitement. This damn waterfall is not worth his best friend's life. He keeps his hands tucked into his pockets, pulling one out to wipe the water off of his skin from the intense mist blowing in their face from the giant waterfall. It's loud, somehow _too_ loud, even for his New York ears. It is just a constant _whooshing_ sound, drowning out the voices of the annoying tourists huddled around them, not understanding what personal space means. Alexander sighs, resisting the urge to pull out his cellphone and decides to watch John looking at the waterfall. 

He has a mesmerizing gaze, his face utterly relaxed as if he has been trapped within a tranquil trance. The sound of the waterfall drowns everything else out, leaving Alexander lost in his own tranquillity of nothing but John Laurens. He examines every freckle on his face, the way his skin seemingly glows in the sunlight. His hair shines bright, appearing to be bleached by the blazing summer sun. 

The water droplets on his face pull Alexander's eyes down to his lips. They're slightly parted, formed in a permanent serine _'oh'._ Alex snaps his gaze to John’s eyes, sparkling with the reflection of the water pouring in the near-distance. The speckles of colour dance to form its unique shade that says nothing but _John Laurens._ His soul is bright and seeing him at peace flushes all irritability out of Alexander's system. 

John turns so suddenly that Alex blinks quickly, taken aback, and darts his gaze to the waterfall in his peripheral. He feels his heartbeat thudding against his chest, knowing full well that John is now staring at him and not saying anything. 

"Do you wanna go get something to eat?" John inquires loudly so he can be heard over the noise. 

Alex gratefully nods, his stomach already growling at the mere mention of food. "God, yes." 

## ~ TWO HOURS AGO ~

They step out of the rental car and Alex stares vacantly at the large map showing the full trail: **_‘Welcome to The Niagara Glen Nature Reserve.’_**

“Wow, look at that. This place is massive!” John exclaims excitedly as he pulls their backpacks out of the trunk. 

Alex’s face falls, still staring at the map on display. “Yeah. Looks like a long hike…” 

Alex startles when he feels John’s hand grab his shoulder, shooting electricity through his veins from the hold. “Don’t worry, it’s not too bad. We’ve got water and snacks.” 

Alex takes his bag and they begin walking towards the entrance of the nature reserve. Alex had not realized how high up this place would be. He had foolishly forgotten they were on the side of a cliff until they approached a metal grate staircase leading down to the trails. The staircase looks like it is barely holding on, bolted haphazardly to the cliffside with a large thick pole in the center, the stairs spiralling down. 

“Sorry, I didn’t even think about the height,” John says suddenly, catching on to Alex’s reluctance to step onto the rickety staircase. “The stairs are secure. I promise.” 

“How the fuck do you know?” Alex bites back incredulously. “Are you a staircase expert all of the sudden?” 

John fondly rolls his eyes and steps onto the staircase and hops on it, causing Alex’s stomach to drop to the bottom of the gorge. “Fucking stop that, John. This isn’t funny! I do not want you dying on a sketchy staircase in Canada!” 

John stops hopping and folds his arms over his chest. “It’s fine, Alex. I bet they inspect it to make sure it is still secure. Thousands of people probably use these stairs every single day.” 

Alex’s face twists uncomfortably. “That doesn’t make me feel better. What if it decides to give out today?” 

John sighs defeatedly and looks out into the distance at the river separating the land between the two countries. “We can just go back to the hotel if it makes you that nervous--” 

“No!” Alex cuts him off abashedly. His face is flaming hot with embarrassment and despair. He only agreed to go on this trip just so John can be happy. He cannot stand the idea of ruining John’s time in Niagara Falls. Alex sighs dramatically and takes a hesitant step onto the staircase, refusing to look away from John. “You’ve been looking forward to this and my shitty fear of heights will not ruin this for you.” 

John frowns. “I don’t wanna force you to do anything you don’t want to do…” 

Alex feigns a smile. He can feel how flimsy his veil of deception is. “I want to do this with you. Just. Please never jump on these fucking stairs again.” 

John smiles sweetly and reaches his hand out. “Come, I’ll protect you from the staircase.” 

Alex grabs his hand, hoping he doesn’t come across as too eager as he does so. He isn’t sure if the wonky feeling in his stomach is from the height as they walk down the stairs hand-in-hand, or if it is from the fact that he is walking hand-in-hand with _John_ down these godforsaken stairs. 

_The fifth thing Alex knows and would refuse to admit it until the day he dies; he maybe, probably, sort of...has a crush on his best friend._

He keeps his eyes either out in the distance or glued onto John as he carefully leads Alex down the dizzying stairs that seemingly go on forever. Alex wonders if he died and is walking to Hell with the boy of his dreams but then snaps out of it once his feet suddenly hit the dirt. He has never been so grateful to be standing on dirt in his life. 

“Fuck those stairs,” Alex grumbles, looking back at them with furrowed brows. His eyes widen slowly as his gaze trails up the length of the stairs, seeing how far down they had just walked. He feels like he’s out of breath but wonders offhandedly if he is just already tired from walking so much. 

“Ready to go?” John asks, releasing Alex’s hand to shove his own in his pocket. Alex suddenly feels so cold even though the sun is beating down on them. He cannot wait to be in the shade of the trees. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Alex starts walking towards the right where he sees a natural staircase and lots of trees. John follows him and they ignore the fact that some people are going the other way first while some people walk from the opposite direction on the path they chose. 

## ~ ONE HOUR AGO ~

Alex wants to die right here, with his water bottle clutched in his arms and his ass on the forest floor. John patiently stands by Alex, looking at his phone with his hands cupping his eyes to get a better look at his screen in the sunlight. 

“Looks like we’re perfectly at the halfway point. Should only be another hour back.” John puts his phone away. “It might not take as long if you walk a bit faster.” 

Alex tries to not snap at John, but he is tired and grumpy and wishes he were on the other side of this fucking river that rushes by them, back in New York. “If we don’t pace ourselves, I might have a fucking asthma attack.” 

“You don’t have asthma,” John replies with an unimpressed frown. “You’re being dramatic. If you didn’t want to go on a hike, you should have said before we walked down the staircase of hell.” 

“So you admit those stairs are a disgrace to this planet,” Alex snips back quickly, lifting a curious brow. 

John sighs, rolling his eyes and rubbing his face. “We’re halfway there. Could you please cooperate and stop complaining every three seconds?” 

Alex sighs defeatedly and stands up slowly. “Sorry. I’m just tired.” 

John tilts his head, frowning. “Have you ever done a hike like this before? If not, we can head back the way we came. I think that was the easy trail.” 

Alex wants to snap at John for crushing his ego with one sentence but bites his tongue. Instead, he says something absolutely stupid. “I have! I’ll be fine, I swear. Let’s just go the other way. New scenery and all that!” 

“Are you sure?” John questions with a concerned frown. “You don’t have to do--” 

“Yes, I’m sure, Laurens,” Alex quips back swiftly. “Let’s get on with it, yeah?” 

John sighs but nods. “Okay, if you insist.” 

## ~ NOW ~

Alex thought he had regrets before this moment, but nothing will ever top the regret he feels right now as he struggles to climb the steep paths. He claws at the dirt and groans at the feeling of it burning under his nails. He pants desperately and looks at the staircase as a sudden beacon of hope, wishing he can get to it so he may climb something far less steep and pass the fuck out in the car. 

Alex blinks a few times at that thought, realizing his eyesight is darkening and he feels dizzy. He pauses, leaning on a rock as he looks up at the sky. His ears start ringing and he feels like he is looking at a near-dusk cloudy sky even though it is the middle of a bright and sunny summer day. That’s...not good. 

“John…” Alex croaks out weakly, feeling himself lose his balance on the rock. He sees the steep hill below him and worries deeply about his fading state. “John,” Alex says again, louder and with more fear laced in his exhausted tone. 

“What? What’s wrong now?” John snaps from somewhere behind Alex. 

Alex finds he can’t respond as he opens his mouth, hoping to regain his energy and not pass out on this steep hill. “Mmm...John……” Alex mumbles incoherently, feeling his vision suddenly go bright-white and the ringing in his ears to raise louder so nothing else is audible anymore. “My ears….are too bright….” Alex groans. 

He suddenly feels himself falling forward and then feels nothing at all. 

Alexander knows six things for certain. One, he is going to graduate college and become a lawyer. Two, caffeine is a god-given gift. Three, he hates nature. Four; he hates heights. Five; he maybe, probably, sort of...has a crush on his best friend. Six; _his best friend saved his life today._

Alex wakes up on a gurney being lifted into an ambulance. He squints and groans, feeling like he is in immense pain — and suddenly feels someone grabbing his hand tightly. He cranes his stiff neck as far as he can before wincing and hissing in severe pain. 

“Don’t move! You’re okay. I’m right here, Alex. you’re gonna be okay…” John’s soothing voice rings through his ears. He sounds simultaneously calm, terrified, and relieved. “Alex, you’re gonna be okay… You’re gonna be okay…” He repeats this in a low, lulling tone, seemingly saying it to convince himself rather than Alexander who is only about twenty-six percent conscious right now. Alex does not respond in any way and just closes his eyes, squeezing John’s hand briefly before falling unconscious again. 

## ~ AN INDISTINGUISHABLE AMOUNT OF TIME LATER ~

Alex wakes up with a painfully dry mouth. He smacks his lips and examines his surroundings fitfully, wincing in pain as he twitches and shuffles in the hospital bed. He remembers being on the steep hill near the end of their hike, then an ambulance for two seconds, and then being here. He hears so much noise; beeping, feet pattering, voices — and smells nothing but chemicals and cheap coffee. 

Someone stirs beside him and he quickly realizes John had been sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital chair beside him. “Hey, you’re up. How’re you feeling?” John says with a yawn. 

“Like I fell off a cliff….” Alex trails off as he says this. “Holy shit, did I fall off a cliff?” His voice is coarse and dry. John wordlessly hands him a cup and Alex drinks greedily from it. 

“Yeah, kind of. It was more like a _really steep hill,_ but still... I caught you before you fell too far.” John blushes and frowns. 

Before Alex can reply a nurse pulls open the curtain separating them from what Alex assumes is the ER. She has a sweet smile and strides in with an aura that screams positivity. “Well, looks like ya hit yer noggin real good there, bud,” The nurse says with a bright smile and a chuckle. “How are ya feelin’?” 

“Uh, okay I guess?” Alex replies with a shrug. “My neck is kinda stiff and my head hurts. Other than that I think I am fine.” 

“Yeah. You know, based on witness reports, your friend here caught you right before you landed on your head. He saved you from snapping your neck,” the nurse says rather nonchalantly. 

Alex gapes at John, his red face seeming to darken. “You saved my life…” Alex whispers, not meaning to say it out loud. Must be whatever painkillers they have him on. 

“Nah…” John waves off dismissively. 

“No, he’s right. You definitely saved his life out there. It was right of you to call an ambulance and then carrying him up those stairs as well,” the nurse chimes in. “The paramedics were impressed to hear you climbed all those stairs with your friend over your shoulders.” 

“It was nothing, really…” John says bashfully. “Will he be okay?” 

“Oh yes. He’ll need lots of rest for the next few days. I suggest holding off on any strenuous physical activity for a few weeks.” She scribbles something on her clipboard. “Now, unfortunately, since you two are American, we will have to—” 

“I’ve got it!” John says quickly, standing up and grabbing the bill from her hand swiftly. “Where should I go to cover this?” 

“John, no,” Alex grumbles. “I can—” 

“Relax, Hamilton. I’ve got this covered,” John replies with a shrug. “You have enough to worry about.” 

“All that happened was I passed out and fell down a really steep hill. I’m fine,” Alex bites back. 

“Well, you’re only fine because of your friend here,” the nurse cuts in with a pout. 

Alex groans in frustration. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I’m already indebted to you, Jack.” 

John’s features soften into one of pure affection. “You owe me nothing. Just...rest, please.” 

Alex opens and closes his mouth like a trout, unable to reply. Alex barely pays any mind when John asks for instructions on how to pay for his hospital bill and sits still as the nurse checks his temperature, vitals, blood pressure — the basics, really. 

He doesn’t care about any of that — only the fact that _John Laurens saved his life today._ His stomach flips and anchors when he has another revelation. He is maybe, probably, sort of... _in love_ with his best friend. 

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to say, "Screw it, why not write something I know so well that I do not even have to think about what I am writing because I live this every single day?"
> 
> Niagara is well known for its nature trails filled with ticks and a wide variety of waterfalls. The trail they walk on in this fic is not too difficult except for the end when you have to climb up the steep cliff edge you went down at the start. But for someone like Alexander, a city boy who only sees the occasional patch of dirt as his connection to nature on the daily, the trail would most definitely be quite difficult to handle. 
> 
> It felt very interesting to write about where I live from the perspective of people who have never been here before. It was a breath of fresh air and really puts things in a new light for me.
> 
> Also, yes, I gave the nurse a very Canadian accent that you can practically hear in the dialogue. As a certified Canadian Moose, I am allowed to make fun of the accent in my writing.


End file.
